Sanitary multiple housing for small animals



Jan. 9, 1940.

B. l.. OSER SNITARY MULTIPLE HOUSING FOR SMALL ANIMALS o S e NToR I ATTORNEY.

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Patented Jan. 9, 1940 UNITED STATES SANITARY MULTIPLE HOUSING- lFoafsMALL ANIMALS BernardnL. Oser, Forest Hills, N. Application September 13, 1931, Serial No. 163,599

, 4 Claims.

This invention -relates to indoor housings for small animals and, in particular, is directed to sanitary multiple caging devices. p

Innumerable small animals, such as white mice,

Il white rats, guinea pigs and the liks, are bred and experimented upon in scientific laboratories. In these laboratories and research institutions sanitation is of prime importance, and economy of operation a much sought for objective. Laboratories operating in large cities, especially those occupyingquarters commandinghigh rentals, are l sometimes 'compelled to overcrowd their animal colonies. Under such conditions maintenance costs forv labor are high, and withal the animal room maybe far from the desired degree of sanitation. y

Existing cages are inadequately built for maxi-` mumcleanliness. Scattered food andk excreta accumulate in the corners and entail much labor l `inkeeping rthe cages clean. Ingestion of contaminated food residues may aect the experi-Vv mental animals or disturb the results of the' laboratory studies. I

Breeders and laboratories-have long Wanted ;multip1e housing for,` their animals'aiording ut,

rapid and easy means of removing and disposing of the animal droppings.

Another object of the invention is to prevent self-contamination of the animals by ingestion of their own droppings.

Other objects and advantages of my invention will appear on inspection of the drawing, in.

whichz'- y Fig. l is a perspective View of a single cage positioned as part of afbattery of similar sanitary cages in combination with acooperating droppings collector. A part of the View is shown broken away and in dotted outline in order bet--A ter to illustrate the assemblage.

Fig. 2 is a broken section `on the line 2-2 of Another object of the invention is to 'provide the batteryra'ck looking in the directionof the arrows and'fillustrating'the construction of the rack ends. Dotted lines show clamping means in'released 4positionll l p Fig. ElY is ,a section .of the rack on vthe line 3 3 of Fig.' 1 looking inthe direction of; the arrows. Y 7 f f In the drawing like numerals refer tolike parts vthroughout the several views. Y e y* In Fig. 1f, A represents a sanitarycage in which the numeralI representswire screen of appropriate mesh and requisite sturdiness shaped to form the walls of a cage. The ends of the screening, which form the walls, may be fastened by appropriate means to form; an enclosure. A floor isfalixed lto the wall section at the lower edges 2, 2. `The oor is built of screening, the mesh of which depends upon the size of the anithe animals in the cage. The upper edge of the wall I lis furnished with an edging YIi. Said edgy ing is preferably rmade of wire, rto which the screening I is fastened. A lid. 4 is constructed of screening with finished edges 5. Said' edges may be ymade of wire similar'to-that used in the construction of 3.

The lid 4 is cooperatively connected with the back wall of the cage by means of hinges 6, 6. At the upper righthand 'corner of the front wall there is ay catch 1, which is used to keep the lid 4 securely fastened to the cage. Numeral 8 rep- .mals to be housed therein. The floor should be,y suic'iently sturdy to withstand-fthe Weight of `resents a feed holder for supplying water or other food lmaterials .to the animalwithin the cage.

The rack Brests on a shelf or plank C, or other appropriate support. In my preferred embodiment the rack B is constructed of metal rods. The individual cages A rest upon the rods 9, 9, which are mounted on risers I0, II and I2.

Risers I I and I2 are built of rods fashioned into horizontal portions I3, I3 and the ends f thereof are bent at right angles to I3, thereby forming legs I4, I4. Riser II'I- is also built of rods by fastening to the legs I5,'I5 a'horizontal cross bar I6 on which 9, 9 are mounted. To achieve greater rigidity of the rack the lower ends of legs I4 and I5 are turned toward ea'ch other.

To the legs I4 and I5 of the risersvthere are fastenedA by appropriate means, such as welding, brazing'or the like, cross bars l1, as shown in detail in Fig.y 3. A plurality -of rods I8, I8 are attached to the cross bars I'I by appropriate y means, such as Welding, braz'ing or the like and form a bed or platform for supporting a web of absorbent paper I9, which may from time to time be withdrawn from supply roll 20.

The legs I5 of end riser I0 extend upward a sufficient distance so as to form a support by which the roll of paper may be supported. The upper portions of I5, I5 are bent outwardly from the frame and the free ends thereof 2l, 2| are shaped in the form of loops 22. A rod 23 carries the roll of paper 20 and is suspended by 22, 22 by inserting therein the vertical ends 24 24 of rod 23.

The web of paper I9 is kept flat on the bed or platform I8 by means of catches or clamps 25, v25 at points 26, 26. These catches are shown in detail in Fig. 2 and are constructed of wire or other appropriate materials by looping the same around the risers I0 and II so as to form a brake portion 2l, 21 and a release arm 28, 28,

The distance between the bed or platform I8 supporting the web of paper I9 and the rods 9, 9 is designed so that an animal cannot, by eX- tending its foot through the openings in the iloor of the cage, reach the paper I9 and tear it.

As thus constructed, a battery of cages with its animal inhabitants can be maintained in eX- cellentsanitary condition. The cages are well ventilated; the animals droppings and food fall through the floor thereof onto the absorbent paper I9; when it is desired to remove the soiled paper, the catches 25, 25 are released, as shown in the dotted position of Fig. 2, and the sheet I9 pulled through until a fresh section thereof emerges from the rack.

The withdrawn section of the soiled paper I9 is separated from the web and may readily be disposed of. The fresh section of the paper is fastened to the support platform I8 by the catches 25, 25. It will be observed that theshelf C, upon which the animal colony is housed, is maintained in a fresh and clean condition.

By means of my invention it ispossible to quarter eight of my improved cages in the place of ve cylindrical cages ordinarily used for the same purpose, thereby housing a greater number of animals in the same space.

Vsupporting a battery of cages, comprising in combination: a pair of rods mounted on risers, a platform beneath said rods for retaining a web of material to catch the droppings from the cages, said platform comprising a plurality of rods mounted on crossbars mounted on said risers, clamping means for keeping the web stationary, and a pair of rods extending upwardly from one of the end risers for supporting a supply roll of the aforesaid web material.

3. A sanitary housing for small animals, comprising in combination: a battery of cages with open mesh floors; said cages being supported by means comprising in combination: a pair of rods mounted on risers, a platform beneath said rods for retaining a web of material to catch the droppings from the cages, clamping means for keeping the web stationary, and a pair of rods extending upwardly from one of the end risers for supporting a supply roll of the aforesaid web material.

4. A sanitary housing for small animals, comprising in combination: a battery of cages with open mesh floors; said cages being supported by means comprising in combination: a pair ofiv rods mounted on risers, a platform beneath said rods for retaining a web of material to catch" the droppings from the cages, said platform comprising a plurality of rods mounted on crossbars mounted on said risers, clamping means for keeping the web stationary, anda pair of rods extending upwardly from one of the end risers for supporting a supply roll of the aforesaid web material.

` BERNARD L. USER. 

